


hold me close

by ForEverwontbeForeveR



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Based On Folktale, F/F, shout out to my filipino teacher, the author does not know hierarchy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:00:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24997246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForEverwontbeForeveR/pseuds/ForEverwontbeForeveR
Summary: Diana panics as Akko lets out a piercing scream, the girl's wounded arm regaining it's painful agony. Diana looks around them for a solution but to no avail.They were stuck in the middle of the ocean with the waves violently shaking their boat. Land was nowhere to be seen and there was no supplies she could use to tend the girl. Time was running out as the gigantic ship behind them started coming closer and closer. There was no other way.
Relationships: Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	hold me close

The ocean’s waves turn wild as a large ark makes its way to the shore, flashing the colors of its clan. The size of the ship was gigantic, no doubt that it would crash a small paddle boat by its toes.

Daryl Cavendish smiles at the young monarchs stepping out of the ships. She walks closer with three women behind her, the youngest of the trio keeping her head low. 

“Lord William, we have been waiting for your arrival.”

The woman smiles wider as she introduces the young man to her niece. As the prince bends down to kiss the young girl’s hand, she couldn’t help but feel a bliss within her. An affirmation that the odds were in her hands.

She didn’t even notice the young girl grimace at her hand.

* * *

As dinner was soon to arrive, Daryl walked through the manor, searching for her niece. 

With the girl becoming more like a lady everyday, the time of finally finding a betrothal has come. And though Lord William may not have been their first choice of a husband. Soon enough the young lady would meet a man rightfully deserving of her hand.

They could only hope she would choose sooner. 

Her thoughts get cut when a strong bump from her side brings her to the floor, almost hitting her face on the ground.

“I-i'm so sorry!”

She quickly stands up to her feet. Fixing any torments on her clothes with keeping a proper posture. She then turns to the culprit of her fall.

“Who are you?”

A brunette girl stands before her, a shock and scared written all over her face. The small instrument in her palms revealing who the girl was.

“My apologies. I am a performer, part of Chariot’s group, My lady.”

She stares at the girl once more. Nothing else seemed to stand out from her except for the smell of jasmine flowers coming from the girl.

Daryl sighed. “You are lucky I am quite in a good mood today, performer. I will let you go for now”

“Thank you, My Lady.”

Both separate to their own ways as if it was a normal encounter. She even forgot of their little interaction once she found her niece and dinner was served to the families. And seeing the two love birds associate during their feast made it seem the girl never even appeared to her.

Why should she have to worry about a performer?

* * *

The night brings in the dark with the moon being the only light. With such a small light source it was impossible to see the young girl sneaking out of her room and making her way to the lake outside of her home. And with the trees bringing more shade, it would take an eagle to catch her moving around. 

Okay, maybe it was too dark. Perhaps she should have brought a candle to light up her path and guide through. Wondering whether she was in fact heading the right direction was starting to irritate the young girl.

Each step she took was a guess. Trusting her feet to lead her to her destination. She suddenly regretted not bringing a candle. One step she was on a muddy dirt, the next step she dropped herself into water.

Her body dropping into the water gave a huge shock she couldn’t even concentrate on what she should do. Toes kicking her up to the surface while she struggles to catch a breath. 

“Diana!”

After a loud splash, hands on her waist dragged her to land, the tight yet gentle embrace told her who her savior was.

Once she is out of the water, she takes her time to catch up on her surroundings as the other girl keeps an arm as support for her.

“Are you alright?”

She coughs, letting out any salt out of her throat. When she was sure she was alright, she looked to her side and smiled.

“Yes, I am okay. Thank you, Akko.”

The two settle down on the water’s shore. Their soaked outfits keep them colder than they intended to be with the wind blowing their way.

But that didn’t matter. With the two of them together, that was enough to keep them warm even in a blizzard.

“Why did you jump in the water?” 

Diana laughs. “I didn’t jump in the water. I couldn’t see anything this dark at night. If anything _you_ jumped into the water.” 

She was sure Akko had pink on her cheeks and the stuttering from the girl just made her suspension even more sure.

“Y-you looked helpless all alone in the water.”

Diana just smiles as she looks beyond the sea before them. The moon’s reflection through water made her let out a yawn.

“You seem tired.”

“My aunt has been keeping me glued to the young Lord all afternoon. I could not take any word from that boy’s mouth. Nothing but stories about himself was all I heard.”

“Seems like a gentleman.”

Diana can feel Akko’s pout through the air. She turns to the girl and puts a hand on her cheek.

“Don’t be jealous.”

“I’m not jealous.”

Blue and red meet as the two stare at each other. Diana can sense Akko’s doubt behind those eyes. 

“Akko, what’s wrong?”

Akko sighed. “More and more men come for your hand. You know you have to eventually pick one of them.”

“Akko-”

“Your aunt isn’t going to give up, isn’t she? The more time you don’t choose a suitor the more desperate she becomes. And without a husband, there’s a chance you couldn’t never-”

“Akko.”

Diana cups the girl’s face in her hands, wiping away the tears slowly dripping from her cheeks.

“Akko, we both know I do not care about those things.”

“But-”

“I do not need wealth or a title.” She gently grabs Akko’s hands into hers. “I need you. That is all I ever wanted.”

They stay there for a while until Akko smiles at her with her eyes shining again. She goes through her pocket and takes out a soaked jasmine flower to Diana.

“I need you to.”

* * *

In the daylight, They were two separate people. One was a soon to be bride to a wealthy family while the other was a performer, singing songs to anyone willing to listen. Passing small smiles to each other if there was a chance.

But at night, they were nothing but children in love. Laughing as loud as they can without worrying who could hear. Under the moonlight, they share each other’s warmth with the water soaring as they let their spirits dance with one another.

And at the end of every one of their secret nightly adventures, Akko would give the same jasmine flower to Diana.

Diana kept every single one of the treasures, making sure no petal fell from its stem. As more nights came, the flowers in her vase grew with it. 

It was refreshing. Every time Diana came back to her room from an exhausting duty, the sweet scent of the flowers gave her body a cool rush, taking away any pressure within.

“You smell different today, darling.”

Diana turns to look at the young man sitting beside her. She raises a brow but then her nose senses the familiar fragrance from her room. She has been gathering the flowers so much she didn’t even realize their scent started attaching to her.

“It seems you are right, Lord William.” Diana smiles.

The rest of their feast went along as it usually does. A discussion about economics or some kind of jewelry, Diana wasn’t really listening. Not when she could feel a warm bliss wrap her away from everything else. Like a confirmation that no one else was going to harm her.

She didn’t even notice her aunt glaring at her.

* * *

Something was off.

Diana and William did not get any closer the past few days but something seemed to keep her niece away from even looking at the boy for more than five seconds. 

As the days go, the young man seems to get even more irritated from the lack of closure. And when Diana excused herself out of dinner earlier than supposed to, William let out a groan and asked his crew to set a ship home by tomorrow. They can’t have that.

Daryl immediately stood and begged the boy not to leave, offering to bring the girl back before the morning for the two to talk with one another. And though he hesitated, William nodded and she was off to find her niece.

Her steps shout through the halls, each carrying a demand and eagerness. How much more suitors would they have to go to just to find that girl a husband? She couldn’t even count the amount of young men she has introduced to Diana anymore. They had to already reach at least a dozen but one had yet to be picked.

Her feets get even more upset once she opens their study’s door to reveal no one is inside. Setting off once again to the courtyard just to meet the same fate. 

The time she went back to check the girl’s bedroom, her body had lost all of its patience and started breaking the proper posture she usually had. And it did not do any better when she went in to find the room empty.

She groaned and was about to shut the door when she suddenly noticed the vase by the window. She never recalled her nor William giving one to the girl. Inspecting it closer, she can smell a familiar jasmine scent from the flowers.

Before she could go any further, laughter from outside the window caught her attention. She turns to see Diana sitting by the sea, smiling as if she heard the best humor the world could give. 

Theories about how the girl there had to be suppressed when she saw who she was with. Steams can be seen coming out of her ears as she throws the vase to the ground and crashes the flowers with her feet.

* * *

She couldn’t hide the smile on her face as Akko struggled with the instrument in her hands. The strings refused to be tuned into their proper tone earning a grimace from its owner and a giggle from the heiress.

As she sits beside the poor girl, she couldn’t help but admire how the moon shines before them. The light illuminating their faces while keeping the rest of the world behind them. 

Too entranced by the scene around them, she didn’t hear Akko speaking to her.

“Pardon?”

Akko smiles. “I said, I found a paddle boat around the shore. It didn’t seem broken so I thought you might want to stream in the water tonight?”

Diana looks at the girl, pink dusting her cheeks. The thought of taking a course around the water seemed quite lovely especially if you add Akko playing a song in the middle of it. The moon above them with the air travelling their hair was indeed a splendid sight.

She opens her mouth to agree but a loud thud from the manor behind them stopped her. The sound was followed by people talking to another. They must be looking for her.

“I am afraid it is quite late for us to do that.” Diana can feel Akko pout. She smirks. “Perhaps tomorrow evening would be better. I could bring some food for us to eat.”

With Akko’s face lit up earning another laugh from the other girl. How could a smile make Diana Cavendish, heir of one of the most well-respected families in the country, such a blushing mess?

“That sounds good to me!”

“Alright then. I guess I should be heading back.”

“Wait!”

Diana stops her tracks and looks at the girl and oh, she thought she just fell in love with Akko all over again.

The moon reflected the girl’s adorable face with her smile shining through everything. The wind gently moving her hair made her look so much more enchanting. And of course, like every night, the same jasmine flower being offered to Diana giving the same scent she always loved.

As she takes the flower, the contact of their soft hands completely zoned out everything else from them. Suddenly there was nothing else around them. No water to soak them wet. No wind to rustle through their hair. No moon to shine their way.

It was just them. Blue and red staring at each other like they were their world.

Diana couldn’t hold it anymore and slowly closed the space between them. Every inch disappearing as all the two could care about was their arms around one another and let the world be theirs.

And just as Diana took the last inch in front of her, her world suddenly shoved into the ground, the water splashing all around.

“Akko!”

Everything was moving too fast. When she tried to reach for her love, hands started pulling her away from the water and into the manor’s door. She was fighting too hard; she didn’t even notice her flower falling to water until it hit the underground.

Once she was forced into her bedroom, she immediately noticed the changes within. Not only was the room much more disoriented, her belongings being put to unnecessary places, but the shattered vase on the floor giving a great impact to the mess.

She runs to it fast, not caring who could hear. Careful not to touch any of the glass as she tries to gather the flowers, the fragrance slowly losing its spirit. 

“How long?”

Diana physically rages as she hears that voice. She holds the flowers closer with the boiling anger and grief inside rising.

“Answer me, Diana.”

“Why should I?”

“Excuse me?”

Diana looks up to the woman, a black shadow guarding her face. “Why should I answer you? You did nothing but control every aspect of my life. Even taking much to attack an innocent girl.”

“Oh, please. She couldn’t even look on her way to see anyone passing in front of her. That girl is nothing but a hindrance to your life.”

“That _girl_ ,” Diana murmured. “Is the only one I am willing to give any amount of my time to. She has much more of an importance to me than any suitor you will have me meet.”

“Why? Because she is a mere performer?”

“Because she is the _love_ of my life.” Diana made sure to emphasize Akko’s true meaning to her.

Her aunt’s eyes turn wide. “Diana, you cannot just-”

“Just fall in love with a performer? Fall in love with a girl? It is too late for that. I already gave her everything. Every part of me.”

The two Cavendish look at one another, glares fighting for one of them to win. Eventually Daryl coughed and started walking away.

“Tonight must have been very traumatic for you, dear. With the sky this dark, you must be tired. I will let you regain your strength.”

“What are you-”

“I will make sure no one interrupts your rest. Your door will be completely shut until you have gathered a _proper_ mind.” 

Diana stood quickly, running to the door as fast as she could but failed. A loud shut goes through the manor followed by a lock turning to close. She can hear a voice commanding guards in front of her door to prevent any escape. 

She drops to the ground completely helpless. The tears started flowing down as the fragrance she loved so much has disappeared and left her alone, a crack from inside her heart echoed around.

All air from her lungs went away as she struggled to see through her vision. The room started turning into a blur with her being too far away to even care what was happening around her. 

This can’t be happening.

**Author's Note:**

> heyo im coming back to writing :D
> 
> this fic is based on "Alamat ng Marinduque" a filipino folktale that i am in love with and hop i gave it justice. And if you're curious, the jasmine flowers that Akko gives to Diana are Sampaguitas which symbolizes fidelity, purity and strength.


End file.
